17 Most Profitable Woodworking Projects to Build and Sell
The woodworking business industry opens many doors of opportunities for people who want to establish a small business out of their skills.
You can sell your woodworking projects in various places such as Amazon, Etsy, or your even in your own website. But what projects should you make and how much will they sell?
Today, I will share with you 17 of the most profitable woodworking projects to build and sell. All of these are available online, and you can get ideas from other sellers if you want.
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1. Fruit Bowls
Necessary Tools: wood lathe, sandpaper
Time to work: 3 hours
Price: $31+
Fruit bowls, when done right, can last a lifetime, and this is what makes them popular in the market. These organic containers have longevity, and they have many uses besides being a fruit bowl. They can be heirloom collectables and they can also be displays.
Compared to plastics and glasses, a wood bowl is more durable, and it looks better in the kitchen. You do not need expensive wood to make this. You can recycle an extra block of wood, and make different fruit bowl sizes.
Click here for wooden fruit bowl ideas on Etsy
2. Wood Utensils
Necessary Tools: wood lathe, sandpaper
Time to work: three hours for each utensil
Price: $29.99+
Wood kitchen materials are in demand. They make a house look and feel more natural. They are also largely preferred as heat does not get transferred in wood—nobody gets singed.
Also, unlike plastics and metals, it will not release chemicals when used on dishes. If you would like to profit from these, you will need a woodturning device and a comprehensive knowledge about food-grade stains.
Choosing a stain for wooden utensils to ensure that your consumers remain free from potential food poisoning.
3. Bench
Necessary Tools: saws, sandpaper, screws, nails
Time to work: 1 or 2 days
Price: $99+
When it comes to strength and durability, most people look at wooden options—sometimes, wood lasts longer than metal. Also, wood benches are classic and produces an aura of being in a park.
Creating a wood bench is uncomplicated, and the type of bench you make depends entirely on your skills or preferences. To make it look expensive and fit for a patio or garden, you can polish, stain, or paint it.
4. Birdhouse
Necessary Tools: saws, nails, hammer
Time to work: About 8 hours
Price: $19.49+
Wood is the most popular material for a Birdhouse, and anyone who has a pet bird will likely prefer this material than settle for metal or worst, plastic. Wood provides natural insulation that plastic cannot—metal is hot and can be harmful to pets.
The most important aspect of building a birdhouse is the ventilation, so make sure that you drill ventilation holes and an entrance hole.
Use paint and wood stain to finish your birdhouse. If you want, you can use clear stains to bring out the wood’s natural qualities and grain.
Click here for birdhouse ideas on Etsy
5. Coffee Table
Necessary Tools: saws, power drill, screws, stain/varnish
Time to work: 1 day
Price: $50+
A coffee table is a must for all living rooms and can come in all shapes and sizes. Creating a beautiful strong coffee table can be added to any room and timber coffee tables are a real hit.
The different timbers and their colours make each table unique.
Different stains and paints colours can change to feel of the table and match to an existing decor or be a stand alone feature.
If you want to have a look at someone who creates unique coffee tables and side tables you need to check out Victor on Instagram @thestumpshop
6. Picnic Table
Necessary Tools: saws, power drill, screws
Time to work: 3 days
Price: $99+
This is a perfect partner for a bench. Your target customers for this project are those who have a big backyard, or restaurants that want a garden-type picnic ambience.
Here are some wood types to choose from:
- Fir if you are on a budget
- Composite or treated wood for durability
- Cedar or red wood if you want to do some carvings
Like the garden shelf, this has to be disassembled so you can ship it nicely.
7. Sofa Sleeve
Necessary Tools: saws, nails, hammer
Time to work: 1 and ½ hours
Price: $25+
If you are fast, you can complete this in less than two hours. A sofa sleeve is an innovative product that functions as a mini table on the sofa’s arm rest.
Most sofa sleeves are made of plastic. But wooden versions found their way in sophisticated living rooms. It is a good time to turn your skills into profit by making one. It is not time-consuming so you can create and sell as many as you can.
8. Picture Frames
Necessary Tools: sandpaper, miter saw, wood glue, router
Time to work: 3 hours
Price: $18.99
A popular wood project that sell on eBay is picture frames. Picture frames are fundamental decors in any house, which means there is a market for this. The ting is, there is also a lot of competition.
If you are thinking of building and selling one, make sure that it is the standard size so you can cater to many interested customers.
Create frames that have intricate designs. Simple frames are dime-a-dozen—most of them are made in factories and you will not be able to compete with the prices. With complex frames, especially those that have sculptures, you can sell them for a premium price
9. Cutting Board
Necessary Tools: saws, sandpaper
Time to work: 2 hours
Price: $27+
Many kitchens prefer wooden cutting boards than plastic ones because it is more sanitary in the long run, and more suitable to the pressure of the knives. Wooden chopping boards have beneficial bacteria that eat the bad bacteria—as opposed to plastic where the bacteria may stay.
All households need a cutting board so you can always find a customer for this product. To create one, all you need is a block of wood. The time-consuming part is sanding process, but you can save more of your time by using an electric sander.
It is important to know what wood is best for cutting boards so there is no cross contamination when food prepping and to achieve a long lasting, good looking cutting board.
Click here to see some more cutting board ideas on Etsy
10. Box Shelves
Necessary Tools: saws, crews, power drills, nail gun
Time to work: 8 hours
Price: $28.99+
Many homes need shelves to keep their items organised. Box shelves are the perfect solution, which they can hang on the wall.
Square box shelves are simple. If you make this, you will not be able to sell your work at a premium price. Create shelves that look unique. Get ideas from geometric shapes like hexagons and octagons. Finish the shelf with a good stain or finish it with a gloss paint.
11. Simple Stool
Necessary Tools: saws, nails and hammer, sander
Time to work: 1 day
Price: $31.99+
Wooden stools last a long time, and many people love its classic look. Just to give you an idea, many people are looking for a handmade stool that has a carved design.
There are numerous types of stools you can build. However, kids’ stool and kitchen stools sell better in the market due to their function.
When you build one, make the exterior unique by using different woods (like cherry wood, oak beech wood, etc.). Finish the wood with a stain that emphasises the woods grain.
Click here to get stool ideas on Etsy
12. Cake Stand
Necessary Tools: wooden lathe, sander
Time To work: 1 day
Price: $15.99+
If you have a scrap wood from your previous woodworking projects, then you can use it to build a cake stand.
Wooden cake stands are more popular than other stands made of plastic. Wooden cake stands are unique and they look expensive—they add a certain quality of elegance on the dinner or party table.
13. Dressers
Necessary Tools: saws, power drill, screws
Time To work: 4 days
Price: $179+
This is one of the large woodworking projects that requires more effort and labour, but the return on your time and investment are all worth it, especially if you can craft dressers that look like they came from the Victorian era.
You can create classic dressers and modern ones. It depends on your skills and creativity—but make sure they look superb.
With that said, you can charge higher depending on the design, number of drawers and if there is a special feature in its interior or exterior.
14. Utensils or Jewellery Organiser
Necessary Tools: wood lathe, sandpaper, screws, glue, saws
Time To work: 4 hours
Price: $10.99+
This organiser is a common thing to use at home. Your target market for this product will be likely homebodies, homemakers, and people who love the aesthetic of wood.
This organiser can be built with different forms and sizes depending on the intended purpose. Here are a few examples:
- Jewellery boxes
- Knife rack
- Mini-drawers
- Gadget racks
Stain the boxes but never use paint. Organisers like this look more sophisticated with dark stain.
15. Wall Art
Necessary Tools: saws, paint, nails, sandpapers
Time To work: 1 day
Price: $109+
The sky is the limit when creating wall art, and you can practically design it in any way. If you have spare materials that you can add to your wooden board, you can. You can even carve or add a touch pyrography to your art.
Use scrap metal like fork or anything to add flare and originality—do not be afraid to test your ideas.
When creating wooden wall art, keep in mind that the type of wood you use dictates how your art looks like after you finish it. Use hard wood if you can, as they have more elegance than ordinary ones like pine.
16. Bed Side Table
Necessary Tools: Wood glue, power drill, saws
Time To work: 8 hours
Price: $39.99
A bedside table is a requirement for every room since this is the best place for lampshades, a book or a phone.
Some would even keep their valuables in it.
You can start this as a small project by creating a plain table that has no drawers, but if you want to go big, you can add features on it like compartments, lockable drawers and secret drawers.
17. Rustic Drawer Shelf
Necessary Tools: Handsaw, wood glue, router, jigsaw, nails, paint
Time To Work: 4 hours
Price: $25.00
Shelves are always handy in any room, but a rustic looking shelve in a bathroom can really make a bathroom look unique. This shelf is easy to make and looks like an old drawer giving it character where you can sit candles on while you have a bath.
It can also be placed in a bedroom where you can sit your favourite book or picture.
This can be made from pine to keep it light for hanging.
Click here to see more shelf ideas on Etsy
Other places to find inspiration
If the projects I have listed above do not inspire you then you can look to other places for inspiration.
- Etsy
- When visiting places
- Magazines
- Woodworking Facebook Pages
Summary
That is the end of our list of most profitable woodworking projects to build and sell.
Making money off of woodworking projects is a lucrative business if you have the patience to craft them. The trick to succeed is to create something that is unique—you are in a position to do this because you are a woodworker.
People will buy wood and pay premium if it is made with love, care, and talent. The same thing applies if you use hard wood. People know that pine wood is cheaper—it is not recommended for you to use this in your projects or you will not be able to sell it for a price that is worth your time.
Larger items like the boxed shelves can be made from pine that you can destress to give it a better look and not appear to be a lesser grade material. It will also keep it lighter for transportation.
Always explore and find ways to learn how to create new projects. Spend some time mastering one kind of project, and then build them only if the orders come.
There are endless ideas that you can find and come up with to make your own.
Happy Woodworking
Regards
Ben
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